Family dynamics in the spotlight as DStv’s Mzansi Magic launches Please Step In.

Having launched the highly topical uTatakho series last month, Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) is gearing up to launch a new family reality series called Please Step In, focussed on helping family members resolve a collective issue. This time round, however, the show revolves around families looking to resolve their challenges and problems with a particular member of their group.

The series, which will be hosted by familiar faces in trained counsellor Angie Diale and renowned community leader Dosto Noge, launches on Monday 31 August and will broadcast every Monday thereafter at 20:00 CAT.

The concept is both powerful and practical, and works in two parts. To start, through healing the rifts that divide them, family members sit down with the hosts to talk about the dynamics at play in their personal lives and why a particular individual is creating tension, unhappiness or concern. Then, the individual at the centre of the issue is invited to engage with the family in a session facilitated by the show hosts, whose main objective is to try to help all involved find a more positive way forward. Whether professional help is required or it’s just a matter of learning to listen to one another, Please Step In attempts to unite the family around a common purpose.

Some serious issues the series will tackle include: substance abuse, anti-social behaviour, violence, and alcoholism. Central to what is designed to be a healing process is the role of clear communication among families, as they work to restore harmony and hope to their troubled relationships.

Commenting on Mzansi Magic’s creation of a second docu-reality series this year, M-Net’s Director of Local Interest Channels Nkateko Mabaso says that the channel recognises and appreciates that its audience has an appetite for honest programming like Please Step In, if these programmes are handled with care and consideration for all those involved.

“We are committed to developing this genre further and hope that at the end of the day, we can provide compelling entertainment that inspires participants and home viewers to find solutions to the problems currently occurring in their lives. We are also pleased to have Angie and Dosto on board, and we are confident they can stimulate meaningful and healthy interactions.”